


The Bunker

by CJ_fics



Series: The Team within the Team [6]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Team-Centric, established olicity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 20:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4579311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJ_fics/pseuds/CJ_fics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another story for The Team within the Team series.</p>
<p>This one is inspired by the new Arrow bunker spoilers – and speculates a bit more about it.</p>
<p>Summary: With the newly-reinstalled Anti-Vigilante Task Force in place, the team needs to reconsider where to work from. John Diggle considers Oliver’s place in the team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bunker

“ _Star City is not a place for vigilantes. They are not welcome in this new city that we are rebuilding from the ashes of Starling City,_ ”  a booming voice announces from the television set located near the training area of the current team lair.

John, Thea and Laurel are in the middle of a sparring and work out session when they hear the proclamation from the television that had been running in the background. They all stop and turn to listen to the press release being held in front of the SCPD headquarters by Police Commissioner Devin Buckingham. Behind him stood a line of police officers in full regalia, including Captain Quentin Lance.

“ _Anarky, whom you all know has been calling for the dissolution of government authority in Starling City, has gained followers that have caused unrest that threatens our beloved city. To a lesser extent, The Arrow, whom the SCPD apprehended successfully, and who tragically died while in prison, is the same. Now, more and more citizens believe that they can take the law in their own hands instead of cooperating with the authorities to gain justice,_ ” Buckingham continues with a strict look on his face, “ _It’s time we put a stop to that. For good._ ”

John, Thea and Laurel look at each other with nervous frowns.

“ _With that mission in mind, we have tasked Police Lieutenant Liza Warner to head the new Anti-Vigilante Task Force,_ ” Buckingham motions for a tall, muscled African-American woman to step forward from the line behind him, “ _The lieutenant and her special team will not only apprehend anyone connected with Anarky, and anyone wearing a mask, with the full force of the police, without prejudice, they will also be conducting thorough investigations to discover the real identities of these masked vigilantes. Anyone suspected of supporting Anarky, vigilante-ism, and of assisting those vigilantes, will be brought to justice. The long arm of the law will catch up with these hooligans. Come hell or high water._ ”

With that, the Police Commissioner steps of off the podium amidst journalists buzzing with questions. Police Lieutenant Warner takes the stage, receiving the press’ queries, ending her statement with, “ _Anyone with information about Anarky and any vigilante activity in Star City will be entertained by our task force. Together, the SCPD and the law-abiding citizens of this city, will put an end to this._ ”

“What are we going to do?” Thea asks nervously, looking at John and Laurel.

“I thought that the SCPD and the local government had given this up,” Laurel says, “There has been no word from the D.A.’s office about this. I’m calling my dad.”

“You do that,” John agrees, “But don’t give yourself away.”

Laurel nods before reaching for her phone and tries to reach her dad.

“We should probably re-think our base of operations,” John says to Thea, “It’s too risky to operate from your home, Thea.”

“Yeah, but where?” Thea responds.

“We should probably decentralise,” Laurel says, “I can’t reach my dad. His line is busy. I’ll keep trying.”

“That’s an idea,” John nods, “We should also lie low for a bit, until we figure it out.”

“Should I call Oliver and Felicity?” Thea offers.

One of the changes in the team was that Oliver and Felicity barely spent time in the lair. Thea knew that it was different from the old team set-up – with the team making a home out of their Verdant basement lair, training together in the same space every day.

Oliver had set up his own training space in the basement of the converted warehouse that he and Felicity had made into their home, and Felicity had been able to run their computer systems remotely. The couple only showed up to the lair in the evenings when the team prepared for a night of patrolling the city. Thea knew that that was brought on by the silent battle between John and Oliver – and that Oliver had opted to stay away to give John space.

“Yeah,” John says, “You call them and get them here. They need to be in this discussion anyway. I’ll call Lyla to see if there are A.R.G.U.S. locations that we can use temporarily.”

“No need,” Felicity calls from the doorway of Thea’s loft, Oliver standing behind her. 

They walk into the loft, Oliver’s hand on Felicity’s back, as she continues talking, “I just got off a call with Dete– Captain Lance. He said that this task force was a surprise for most of the SCPD, including him. Police Commissioner had called all the SCPD higher ups this morning and asked them to show up at the head quarters for a press release.”

“Dad called you?” Laurel asks a frown on her face.

Felicity shrugs while Oliver responds, “According to him, Felicity’s still his liaison to the team.”

“I think it’s just because that’s what he’s used to,” Felicity interjects kindly.

Laurel forces herself to relax, not wanting to be the cause of more drama in the team. She vows to call her father later.

“There’s something fishy going on,” Oliver continues.

“According to Detec – Captain Lance, the official justification was that they really wanted to catch Anarky and his followers,” Felicity adds, “But that the Police Commissioner had said that, if other vigilantes are caught in the crossfire, he wouldn’t mind. But the main focus would be about finding out the real identities of everyone in a mask, including Anarky.”

“Which is what makes it really strange,” Oliver says, “Before the focus was apprehension, and not on investigating the identity of the masks.”

“And that it was something that was a surprise for someone like Captain Lance,” John says.

“Yes, he says that it comes from really high up in the police totem poll,” Felicity responds.

“Who’s higher than the Police Commissioner?” Thea asks.

“Whoever is pulling Buckingham’s strings,” Oliver answers.

“Oh, and the new Anti-Vigilante Task Force is operating outside of the SCPD HQ, and have been given special offices,” Felicity shares, “That way, their investigation will be separate from the usual SCPD cases.”

“Did dad say anything about who’s on that task force?” Laurel asks.

“Only that there are a lot of third party consultants,” Felicity says, “Former Black Ops agents, it seems, according to him. But he didn’t know anyone specifically. It’s all hush-hush.”

“So, there is something really fishy going on,” John concludes. He turns to the team, “We have to deal with the practicalities first. Lie low until we find out more – and until we move our base operations.”

“About that …” Felicity begins slowly, exchanging a look with Oliver. They seem to have a silent conversation for a few seconds before Oliver nods, and Felicity turns her eyes back to rest of the team, “We might have a solution for a new base of operations.”

“What do you mean?” Thea asks with a frown.

“It means that Felicity has been working on a new base,” John answers with a scoff, “She’s been known to have done that in the past.”

“ _We’ve_ been working on it together,” Oliver responds, standing taller as if bracing himself for John’s ire.

John looks away arms crossed, shaking his head and clenching his jaw.

Felicity looks uncomfortably at Oliver, biting her lip in worry.

“Where?” Laurel breaks the silence.

“At Palmer Tech,” Felicity answers, “When I took over the CEO position, I did a scan of the building property and I discovered a hidden and restricted area below the building.  On the blue prints, it’s where all the electrical and plumbing systems for the building is supposed to be. It’s a double basement though. The electrical and plumbing  systems are on a floor above. So, we had a look at what it was – Oliver and I. I wasn’t going to have a look on my own – I’m not an idiot. It’s a huge empty space, which has an entrance a block away from the building. Two entrances, actually.  One of the entrances leads directly to the old subway system.”

“What was it supposed to be used for?” Thea asks.

“We think it was built for the Undertaking – perhaps as a back-up place to store the Markov devices,” Oliver says.

“There was a major repair of the QC building a year after The Gambit, I remember,” Thea says, nodding, “Like entire blocks were closed off.”

“Right,” Oliver nods.

“Who’s aware of the basement?” John finally speaks up.

“I assume Malcolm Merlyn,” Felicity responds.

“Everyone else involved in the Undertaking is dead,” Oliver adds sadly. Felicity reaches out a hand to stroke his back in comfort.

“You haven’t told anyone in Palmer Tech?” John confirms with Felicity.

“No, not a soul,” Felicity answers, “I’ve not corrected the blue prints.”

“And that’s where you think we should set up our base of operations?” Laurel asks.

Felicity and Oliver look at each other, once again having a silent conversation.

“It’s already set up,” John says steadily looking at the pair with steady eyes.

The couple look at him nervously, nodding.

“Fine,” John nods tersely before walking out of Thea’s loft.

—————-

“We have to secure the entrances,” John says after the team shows up at the basement bunker.

He had to admit, it was an impressive base. Much bigger than Verdant basement lair. What Felicity and Oliver had done with it was equally impressive – with different sections for everything the team needed for their work.

At the centre was Felicity’s computer set-up arranged in a semi-circular formation. John was sure that it was Oliver’s idea to place her station in the centre so that she would the first visible thing in the space.

In front of that, to the right, was the fitness and training area, with the salmon ladder installed on one of the beams in front of Felicity’s main computers. John couldn’t help but shake his head at that. _Of course_.

Directly to the left of Felicity’s station was a bank of glass cases to hold the team’s uniforms. The med bay and cabinets on the right side behind  the open area of the semi-circle of the computer system. And opposite that was a big round glass table.

“What’s with the conference table?” Thea asks, “Are we expecting to have more members?”

“Well, if Team Flash –” Felicity begins.

“I don’t think they call themselves that, Felicity,” Oliver interrupts her with a teasing smile.

“Cisco totally calls them that,” Felicity insists, “Anyway, if Team Flash decides to visit, at least there’s space for them. And they’re a growing team, too. Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, Ronnie, Dr. Stein. And I know they’re working with a new woman who calls herself Hawkgirl. Plus, Iris and Detective West.”

“Right,” Thea smiles, “Guys, this is impressive.”

“It is,” Laurel nods in agreement.

“We still need to secure the entrances, as John says,” Oliver admits.

“Yeah, right now, we have a rudimentary system in place, cameras, pneumatic doors that can’t be opened without a passkey,” Felicity adds, “We probably need motion detectors and to install cameras in the surrounding areas. You know, just in case the authorities figure out where we’re operating from.”

“I agree,” John nods.

“Why don’t John and I install the cameras in the alley tonight? Thea and Laurel can take the subway entrance,” Oliver suggests to surprise of Thea and Laurel.

Felicity just smiles at him, approval clear on her face, “Yes, I’ll monitor from here to see if they’re working. Oliver, the cameras are in the box in the med bay. The wires and everything you need to install them are in the same box, please?”

Oliver smiles softly at her and heads toward the area that Felicity pointed to with a squeeze of her shoulder.

She turns to look at John with a brow raised and a smile, “Is that OK with you, John?”

Pursing his lips and shaking his head, John tries to keep himself from smiling at the audacity of this tiny woman. She just sends him a cheeky smile. He huffs, “It’s OK with me, Felicity.”

“Good,” she says, squeezing his arm, “Be gentle with him, OK?”

John rolls his eyes at her in response, bending down to peck the top of her head, “I’ll try.”

“You’ve got some balls on you, Ms. Smoak,” Thea says in disbelief as Oliver and John to start securing the more public entrance. She and Laurel were getting ready to leave for the subway entry.

“What?” Felicity asks her attention on her computer monitors.

“Getting those two alone together,” Laurel answers for Thea.

Felicity shrugs, “They’ll be fine.”

“And if they’re not?” Thea asks in a teasing manner.

“I’ll deal with them,” Felicity looks back that Thea with a smile, scrunching her nose, “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Thea chuckles at the older woman, shaking her head.

“Let’s go, Thea. Those cameras are not going to install themselves,” Laurel says, leading the way to the subway entrance.

——————

“How long?” John asks gruffly as he and Oliver park at the alley where the door to the bunker entrance was at. The big warehouse doors in the alleyway led to a three-car concrete garage. On the floor of the garage was another set of doors that opened up to an underground pathway that led directly to the bunker.

“Felicity discovered the basement a week into taking over Palmer Tech, we checked it out on the same week,” Oliver responds honestly.

John shakes his head, “And you’re only telling the team about this now?”

“We didn’t immediately work on setting it up,” Oliver answers, clenching his jaw, “It took as a while to agree on what to do about it.”

“The two of you have been back for over two months,” John argues, “I repeat, you’re only telling the team about your back-up lair now?”

“Look,” Oliver turns to face John head on, “We didn’t want to overstep our boundaries. _Your_ boundaries. We know we are guests on _your_ team. You’ve made that very clear.”

“I’ve welcomed Felicity openly,” John scowls.

“My bad, _I’m_ the guest then,” Oliver turns away, “I know that, Felicity knows that. We didn’t tell you and your team because we knew that. We set it up just in case.”

He opens the car door, “We should just install the cameras. Felicity and I have secured the door and garage. And some of the alley. We need to focus on the beefing the alley security up and the surrounding areas.”

John looks down at the hurt in Oliver’s voice. He knew he was being unfair. He knew that Oliver was sorry about what he had done as Al Sahim, taking Lyla and leaving Sara unprotected in the process. But John couldn’t let the feeling of betrayal go. He doesn’t think he could ever.

But it didn’t mean that he honestly believed that Oliver was a mere guest on the team. Or that he wanted the younger man to feel that way.

The two men work silently, only speaking when necessary and only about the work, as they installed cameras and communicated with Felicity to make sure that the cameras were all functional and connected to her system.

They finish within two hours, working well together despite the awkwardness and the emotional distance between them. John marvels at that, realising once again that all the years that they had worked as a team, having each others’ backs, being able to communicate in grunts and gestures, trusting each others’ capacities, still remains. The realisation dislodges something in John Diggle’s heart.

“For what it’s worth,” Oliver says they open the door that leads to the entrance to the bunker, “I am truly sorry to have broken your trust. I’m not even going to justify my actions because there’s no justification for losing your regard and respect. I can offer no excuses that would warrant betraying you like that. And I am sorry about that.”

Oliver looks ahead as John drives the van through the underground pathway, not expecting the other man to respond. John doesn’t.

As they approach the entrance to the bunker, John finally speaks up, “I don’t consider it my team. I don’t consider you a guest. I know how important you are to the team. Your skills and experience are unparalleled. I know that. And I know that you are trying to be a better team player. That hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

Oliver nods, looking down, “OK.”

“OK,” John replies.

They return to the bunker in silence.

/end

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in Tumblr: http://outoftheclosetshipper.tumblr.com/post/126750646068/the-bunker


End file.
